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Listen while you read: "Hark The Glad Sound"1 (Lyrics) |
Matthew 7:7-8 – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (NIV)
My horse, Frank, is a nosy parker. "Nosy parker" is an old expression for one who has to have their nose into everybody else's business. Whenever I am working in the corral or out on the property where he is grazing, his nose is not far behind me. Sometimes, it's under my arm. Other times, it's hanging over my shoulder or snuffling by my feet. Frank is interested in everything I am doing and wants to be part of it. As a human, at times, I find this annoying as he is in the way. On the other hand, I find it delightful, as I consider it an honour that he wants to be with me and know everything about what I'm doing. It also reminds me of an important spiritual truth. God wants us to be nosy parkers in regards to Him, His Word, and His ways.
God wants us to be asking Him constantly what He is up to in our world and how we can best be part of it. He also wants us to inquire of Him about everything that concerns us so that He might show us His answers and the best pathways for our lives.
He desires that we constantly be nosy about seeking Him as a person and who He is, and finding out more about His character and motives, ethics and values, so that we may become more and more like Him in thought, word, and deed.
In addition, we are to be so nosy about Him that we earnestly and consistently knock upon the doors of heaven in our search for Christian understanding and the purposes He has for each and every one of our lives and the greater glory of His kingdom.
Yes, being a nosy parker in regards to God and His ways delights Him; it honours Him. When we apply the things that He gives to us and walk through the doors that He opens for us, when we wholeheartedly embrace the good gifts He offers, our lives and the lives of those around us are forever enriched and transformed in the most dynamic and glorious ways: His ways.
So today, let us get nosy with God, and remember that when we truly ask, seek, and knock with faith and expectation, we will definitely receive, find, and have the way opened, for God has so decreed it.
Prayer: Father God, grant us hearts, minds, and spirits that ask and seek and knock with all diligence at the throne of grace. May we be the nosiest of the nosiest when it comes to wanting to know more about You and Your ways, and to yearning for and accepting the good gifts that You promise, that our lives, and indeed, our whole world might become more and more like You. In the wonderful name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
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Good one Lynne. Thank you.
Interesting analogy Lynne and so true.
Another great devotional with advice for everyone.
Love and blessings.
Dear Lynne,
Nice illustration. I like the idea of annoying God with our presence in what He is doing.
Thanks Lynne for sharing about your “nosy parker” horse. May the Lord draw us all to be “nosy” about where and how we can serve others. Blessings.
Greetings, May the Lord truly Bless you, as you have blessed us, with your witty but truly meaningful Devotional our Lord has given you to share.
Amen – that’s a great lesson Lynne! The more nosy we get about God, the less nosy we’ll be about everyone else.
Blessings.
Thanks for today’s devotional. It brought a lovely picture to my mind of you busy working around your horse, and that beautiful creature loving you with his presence – an awesome analogy of God’s presence to us!!
Lynne, Being nosey has not been one of my traits. However, I can see where being nosey will be of much benefit to me as it relates to becoming more like Him so more of His ways will be exhibited in my life. Thanks for sharing this story and its meaning.
Hi, Lynne – Yet again, I’m sending this on to my friend. What great, ‘real’ writing.
Humour gets the point across. We used to have a red Irish setter so I got a special kick out of that.
He was a great, fun dog for us
Great stuff!
Lynn,
Truly and interesting and clever reminder of the Lord’s truth.
It prods us to be nosy.
Thanks you for sharing this.
God bless you and your ministry.
Good morning.
The title you chose today immediately caught my attention. My father used the term ‘nosy parker’ quite often – wonderful memories. Daddy knew the Bible extremely well and shared with me always. This devotional is very encouraging and I thank you very much. Blessings.
Lynne, your pictures are so lovely. My cats do the same thing – always come and plop down right in the middle of whatever I’m doing. Annoying but at the same time rather touching that I mean so much to them. What annoys God is not our desire to be close, but rather our slowness “getting it”, in seeking Him and taking His Word seriously. I often think about His comment about spending 40 years trying to get through to them, but they just didn’t “get it” so they also didn’t get His rest. I’m not sure how to interpret that last bit, but I sure know what it feels like to realize that I have been loving Him for 40 years and there are still many things that I just haven’t yet fully understood or taken action on. I’ve commented on the negative side of not being a “nosey Parker” with our Lord; something that actually causes Him pain.
May we all be much more interested in finding out what He has to say to us, through His Word or through prayer, and what He’s doing in and around us!
You really do a good job. And I always need to hear your message at the time. Keep up your great work.